


Just Breathe

by IcyPanther



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Muzzles, Zuko (Avatar) Angst, Zuko (Avatar) whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25860967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyPanther/pseuds/IcyPanther
Summary: “It looks good on you, Zuzu,”Azula’s laugh echoed in his mind around Zuko’s gasps and shivers and he curled up tighter on the icy cell floor, muzzle straps digging into his skin while his teeth ached from the metal forced between them.“Far more fitting than your crown. Perhaps if you ask the savages nicely they’ll keep you as their pet.”Or; where Zuko didn’t immediately escape following the Siege of the North and was instead captured by the Northern Water Tribe.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 70
Kudos: 665





	Just Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> **Timeline notes:** set directly after s1e20, The Siege of the North Part 2  
>  **Warning notes:** none
> 
> If you enjoy the fic, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below (and the small details make my day!). _**Please, please, please**_ don’t just be a page hit or a kudo or a bookmark. Instead be an engaged, appreciative reader and leave a comment. Thank you so much to those who do. I truly appreciate your support ♥

“Hold him steady now,” came the rough, amused voice of one of the Northern Water Tribe savages. 

“Careful of those teeth, Tajak,” laughed another. “Looks like this Fire Nation scum is trying to bite you.”

Not bite, Zuko wanted to snarl as he twisted as much as he could in the harsh holds, focusing on the hot anger over the cold fear trying to take over him.

_Burn._

But he couldn’t do either as despite his writhing his body felt weak and sluggish and he could feel his inner flame sputtering and leaving him no extra to firebend unless he wanted to kill himself.

He supposed that’s what happened when his body had been through what it had in the past several hours — blown up by pirates and then and swimming through frigid waters, fighting the waterbending girl, trudging off into a blizzard and now falling into an icy canal when the Ocean spirit had knocked the bridge out from beneath him after it had swallowed Zhao.

He supposed he should be grateful it hadn’t killed him too.

But these Water tribesmen just might. 

Zuko gave another hoarse shout at the metal and leather muzzle they were trying to force over his mouth and jerked his head sideways again as best as he was able in their cruel grips; one hand wrapped around the base of his ponytail and more hands digging into his cheeks and ears while his arms were already tied behind his back and his legs and feet bound the same.

“Worse than a polar bear-dog,” grunted one of the savages.

Someone cuffed Zuko atop his head and he slumped in the mens’ holds, ears ringing and vision graying on the edges and he could do _nothing_ as they shoved the muzzle meant for a, a _beast_ over his face, a bar jammed in between his teeth and he gagged as his tongue was forced backwards and the bitter taste of metal flooded his mouth.

It had nothing on the straps cutting into his skin, pressing into bruises and cuts and Zuko gave a breathless yelp as they _tightened_ and he swore he felt blood trickle down his head and the men _laughed._

“Not so tough now, are you?” sneered one of them, jerking Zuko’s face around and a glob of hot spit hit Zuko’s cheek through the straps. 

“Let’s see you firebend now,” jeered another. “Burn that face of yours off. Well,” he paused and even knowing what was coming Zuko would never, could never, be ready, “the other half of it.”

The men burst into raucous laughter and despite everything Zuko felt his cheeks heat.

He was _not_ that poor of a bender.

He just…

Just wasn’t good enough.

He never was. 

“What should we do with him?” one of the men asked and while the question was asked in the same rude, boisterous tone of before it brought a pause.

What did they do with him?

These men, as far as Zuko could tell, were not soldiers, at least not trained ones, and he had yet to encounter any waterbending from them. 

“We bring him to Chief,” one of them, an older, grizzled looking man said, and unlike the others there was no amusement in his voice.

Only hate. 

“He just lost his daughter because of Fire Nation scum,” he continued, dark blue eyes boring into Zuko’s. “I’m sure he’ll want to see justice served.”

But, as it turned out, the chief didn’t want to see Zuko right now.

It made sense, really, given the fact the parts of the town Zuko saw as he was manhandled — thrown over the back of one of the men who made no effort to lessen his jostled footsteps and only made Zuko’s head ache more and the metal clack painfully against his teeth — through were damaged and broken and people looked both shaken and some hurt and a leader’s priority should always be to his people before his own personal grievances.

Had the circumstances been at all different Zuko might have found himself slightly admiring the chief. 

But they weren’t.

So there was no point.

So Zuko was brought to their prison — a moderate sized building made as all things were here entirely of ice with three cells — and here a waterbender emerged to lower a giant sheet of ice so they could throw Zuko into the room behind it before they sealed it back up leaving him alone.

Alone was better than with those men.

Zuko had spent the first few minutes awkwardly trying to sit up without the use of his hands or feet and his body not moving as it should before he gave up, curling up on the ground and pressing a freezing nose into a water-logged and frozen jacket that he did not have the strength to heat to dry and gave into the full body shiver he had not allowed himself in the presence of the others.

He…

He was _cold._

That was obvious but it was suddenly far more pressing than it had been.

He was _cold._

Firebenders didn’t do cold.

Especially not like this.

He tried to draw in a breath — _“Firebending comes from the breath, Prince Zuko,”_ he could hear Uncle coach and he tried to let the gentle instruction and the memory of Uncle warm him — but he choked on the metal in his mouth and the straps across his face tightened painfully into the bridge of his nose and he broke off into a weak cough.

It didn’t stop.

Zuko gasped for breath he didn’t have and it only seemed to make his lungs seize more and dark spots filled his vision.

Was…

Was he going to _die_ here? Like this? Bound and muzzled like an animal?

 _“It looks good on you, Zuzu,”_ Azula’s laugh echoed in his mind. “ _Far more fitting than your crown. Perhaps if you ask the savages nicely they’ll keep you as their pet.”_

No.

_No._

Zuko made a breathless scream and forced himself take in a painful breath.

And another.

And another.

He shivered and shook as he coaxed air back into abused lungs, each breath like an icy dagger straight into his chest but air was air and he desperately needed it. 

Just breathe.

He screwed his eyes up, trying to pretend it was Uncle saying such, feeling a warm and gentle hand on his back as they watched the small candle flame rise and fall with each inhale. 

Just breathe.

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut even tighter as now there was a hot prickling that while welcome in this freezing cell only made his stomach fill faster with cold.

Where _was_ Uncle?

Had he been captured too?

Was…

Was he even alive? 

Had Zuko’s quest to capture the Avatar killed Uncle?

Had it killed Zuko?

Had…

Had it been worth it?

He didn’t know.

He just wanted to go _home._

Home where it was _warm._ Where the very air tasted like spices and flowers as they wafted on the breeze. Where it was green and and colorful and nothing like these all of this white that hurt his eyes. Where he could actually feel the sun’s rays warming him from the inside out instead of this mockery of pale, cold light. 

He wanted to go _home._

He wanted Uncle.

But for now all he could do was breathe and try not to freeze to death.

And so Zuko did.

xxx

Iroh looked up as the door to the home opened with a soft creak, casting moonlight into the chamber.

“Peace,” Iroh held his hands up quickly before he could be attacked, a small flicker of fire appearing on his palm to announce his presence that had it been anyone else would have been immediate cause to sound the alarm.

Not here.

Amber eyes met ocean set in an equally tired, lined face.

“Please, my friend,” Iroh whispered, palming a White Lotus tile into his other hand. “I need your help.” 

xxx

Zuko lost count of how long he’d been in the cell.

At least an hour. Not more than two.

It was getting harder to concentrate, to keep heavy eyelids open.

To keep breathing.

He could barely see the little puffs of air now from his mouth, forced open by the muzzle. 

Had they forgotten about him?

The thought made his body give a weak shiver.

If he was to be executed then…

Then he didn’t want it to be like this.

Alone and abandoned and slowly freezing to death with a beast’s muzzle shoved over his head. 

Even the blood that had been steadily trickling down the side of his head from one of the buckles no longer felt warm.

He couldn’t feel it at all. 

It was hard to feel anything.

But as the ground _shook_ beneath Zuko he definitely felt that.

It appeared they were finally returning for their prisoner.

Zuko was both grateful and terrified, but…

But at least he wouldn’t be dying here.

He cast tired eyes up towards the wall of ice they’d erected.

He blinked.

It was still there.

Zuko did not have any energy left to scream but his body gave it its best effort as a _hand_ landed on his shoulder from behind and he managed a sort of garbled choking noise as his head whipped around with a burst of adrenaline borne of fear.

An old man looked back at him, eyes narrowed and lips curled in distaste.

“Fools,” the man muttered and Zuko didn’t even have a second to puzzle that one out before there was a sort of noise Zuko couldn’t quite describe but he could _feel_ the heaviness being pulled out of his now completely frozen clothes and he cast wide eyes at this old man.

This old man who was a waterbender.

Who was _helping_ Zuk—

He broke that thought off as the man summoned a dagger of ice into his hand.

Zuko made a choked protest as his tongue hit the metal bar and straps cut into his face as he tried to open his jaw because he would not die here, die like—

The man cut the rope holding his arms. 

Zuko’s pathetic protest died on his tongue. 

The man just as swiftly cut the ropes holding Zuko’s legs and feet bound and he winced as the sharp point went beneath the straps on the back of his head but a sharp _snick_ later and the man tugged at the muzzle and Zuko winced as it was lifted away. 

“Wh—?” he tried to croak but the waterbender cut him off with a sharp, “shh!”

Zuko didn’t have the strength to demand an answer.

“On your feet,” the man whisper-hissed, giving his arm a harsh pull and Zuko somehow convinced frozen limbs to do so although he swayed upon standing and had it not been for the man’s firm grip on his upper arm he’d be tipping over. 

“Fools,” the man muttered again.

He stomped his foot.

And the wall _behind them_ slid away without a sound and opened up into a darkened sky, the faintest glow on the far horizon of daybreak. 

It also showed a man; dressed in a dark blue coat with the hood fully pulled up but even then Zuko could make out a flash of amber eyes.

_Uncle._

He was here.

He was alive.

He was _okay._

Zuko tried to say Uncle’s name but all that came out was a pitiful moan.

“Zuko!” Uncle nearly lunged forward even if his shout was but a whisper and Zuko found himself taking a staggered step forward before his legs gave out and he crashed against Uncle’s chest.

Uncle’s _warm_ chest.

Zuko could have sobbed if his tears didn’t feel frozen too.

Something warm — a coat, in the same Water Tribe blue — was being draped over his back by the other man and the hood pulled up.

“You must hurry now,” he said, voice low. 

“Thank you,” Uncle whispered back. “Old friend, I do not know how I can repay—”

“End this,” the man interrupted. 

Zuko felt dizzy by the exchange. 

Friend?

End what? The _war?_

How did Uncle know this man?

“Now go,” a hand gave Zuko’s back a firm and yet somehow gentle shove, pushing him more into Uncle. “Keep him warm. And… and take care, Iroh.”

There was a burst of fire — Uncle melted the wall, Zuko dully realized, to conceal the waterbender’s involvement — and then he was being pulled away, feet stumbling to keep up and his mind feeling the same.

But Uncle’s arm was warm on his back, his embrace tight, and all Zuko had to do was keep moving, just keep breathing, and somehow, someway all of this would make sense later.

Zuko took a ragged but clear breath of frozen air.

He exhaled.

Just breathe.

And he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Fic request of Zuko + muzzled and I just apparently really love writing Zuko and Iroh fics ;p And yes, that is Pakku. Didn't want to spoil his role with a character tag ;p
> 
> If you enjoyed the fic, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below (and the small details make my day!). _**Please, please, please**_ don’t just be a page hit or a kudo or a bookmark. Instead be an engaged, appreciative reader and leave a comment. Thank you so much to those who do. I truly appreciate your support ♥
> 
> 💥 **(Like my works? Want to read even MORE? Visit my[Tumblr, icypantherwrites](https://icypantherwrites.tumblr.com) for details.)💥**  
> 


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